Re: A happy ending

Over the last week or so,  my rear derailthingy began to work in a frustrating and idiosyncratic manner, thereby upsetting my gear changes just when I needed them most.

 Well today was "f" day  i.e. "fix it" day.

My second solution had been to attack the limiter stop screws and change sundry angles on the rear derailleur. My first solution, viz. adjusting the length of the gear change cable, had proved fruitless. 

Out with the Allen keys and into the rear derailleur limiter screws I went, right up to the point where I realised I had no idea what I was doing.

Naturally a call to Werner followed right after this revelation. Most timely was the call for he happened to be in Emerald at the time. So, 5mins later I had expert knowledge available.

Werner took one look and (subvocally) decided I should step to one side and let him fix it. Turns out my solutions were 180 degrees in the wrong direction. The gear change problem had was nothing to do with limiter screws nor cable adjustment. He found the entire cable and associated adjustment mechanism, had become detached from its home in the derailleur body with the result that everything was misaligned. Now, how come I didn't see that????

It proved to be a fiddly thing to fix, with the possibly of a crossed thread and thus a stuffed derailleur, looming large. So, I stood by and provided moral support as Werner addressed the problem with patience I can only admire. 

Great success!

All gears working well, rear derailleur lined up true, gear change cable housed correctly and limiter screws all content.

A happy ending.

Thank goodness one of us knew what they were doing.

Jon

.. 

On Thu, 23 Sep. 2021, 19:06 michael litchfield, <m_litchfield@hotmail.com> wrote:

Haha my legs told me so .. gee even an easy ride has lots of bloody climbing smiling

Sent from my iPad

> On 23 Sep 2021, at 2:15 pm, Jon Bate <bate.jon@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
> You were only 7m short this time. Perhaps it is because you are so tall that you recognise heights.
> <strava1075255948341550176.jpg>

The Challenge is set !

After the insperational support of the "group" Jon, and self ground out a furrow along Strangers up to Swales Road. Now warmed up and delirious we took on Swales in reverse 3 and 1/2 hills that makes the "Piggery" 3 hills look like a small bump. Intending to do this route only once for obvious reasons it is now incumbent on others to emabark upon similar madness - the challenge has now been set !

When a First Aid Kit isn't enough !

Jon and I had taken on our usual covid style restricted ride a few weeks back when after crossing the road bridge on Mcalister Rd Monbulk (over Emerald Creek) we were flagged down by a distraught 12 year old. In a panicked voice he asked if we could help his mate who he said was trapped in the creek. Jon and I immediately jumped off our bikes and walked precariously along a row of support rocks to reach the kids trapped friend who by the sound of his yelling was in fair bit of pain. Apparently the kid had been sitting on a large rock on the side of the creeks slope when the rock gave way throwing him into the creek and trapping his ankle under the water. 

We used all of of our years of experience to formulate a plan. Jon while ice skating over the rocks in his cleats and me while trying to work out if the kids well being was enough in danger for me to warrant getting my lovely new KT26ers wet ! 

I beat Jon into the creek (he was still busy inflating his water wings) and immediately did the worse things possible. 1) I attempted to lift the rock without first checking the weight 2) I didnt check where the kids ankle was in case my lifting caused any further injury. 

I found out soon enough though - a) the rock was too heavy to fully lift and b) going by the kids screaming i was lifting the rock the wrong way !  Now committed i was at least able to lift it enough to allow the kid to get his bruised and battered foot out by which time Jon's water wing wings were nearly fully inflated ! 

As a consequence of the events and in consultation with my emergency planing partner (Jon) I have now  decided to review my rescue tools for future use (see below)  ... my only remaining problem is trying to work out how i"m going to sit on the damned bike !      

Before 

After 

                   

THE DIVYNAL RIDE

Mike and I were racking our brains and perusing every map we could locate for dirt rides around the neighbourhood that we had not experienced previously. Lo and behold we found Mountain Rd. Cockatoo. It joins the Wooori Rd. and Ure Rd. (sort of) and is a road the Alt. Thursday group have ridden downwards many times, yet never upwards. Nothing ventured, so we gave it a go. It's steep, long, looks daunting yet is just manageable, so much so the Helen blizted her way up it a week later. However  what that ride did reveal was another means by which we could get to Ure Rd. from Woori Rd, viz Amphlett Ave.

I was dubious but Mike was insistent. Amphlett Rd. was an unknown quantity and to Mike, that was like a red rag to a bull. So, Emerald to Avonsleigh, down Phillip, head past Cockatoo, turn left into Amphlett and "oh sh..t!"

As for me, I was ready to about turn and seek coffee then and there, but Mike had already launched himself onto the Avenue.

Instantly, we encountered 4232 meters of uphill (a rough estimate of distance I will admit), sufficiently steep that one quarter of the way up we had to zigzag the rest of the way. 

At the top, a welcome flat section of 50m, then a relaxing near vertical descent for 1km or two, followed by what always follow a descent ... a climb.

Not to be outdone, this second climb was as steep and long as the first and  necessitated us calling upon our zigzagging skills once more. Mike was not my favourite person at this point.

"That's it for climbing is it Mike?" I begged. 

"Yes,   ........   almost".

The third hill. The third recourse to zigzagging.

Finally, the top. I laid over my handle bars, hoping the bike would turn into a  bed, or a taxi. A local stopped his car to see if we were ok or did we normally look like this. Mike replied politely, thanking him for his consideration. I was still prone on the ground.

So onwards along the beautiful Evans Road, then a short cut through an unmarked fire track, a quick chat with a bearded, check shirt local with no bango in sight until we got to Stillwell Deviation, which, in comparison to what Mike had just put me through, was a  breeze to ride.

A Werner ride I think. Should the Alt. Thursday group want to do it, I'll get Mike to lead the way. Moral support only will come from me. 

Jon